WAR CRIMES BY ISRAEL

A UN investigation concluded that Israel committed war crimes and possible crimes against humanity, raising the prospect that officials may seek prosecution in the International Criminal Court. The probe led by former South African judge Richard Goldstone concluded that Israel committed actions amounting to war crimes, possibly crimes against humanity during its December 27-January 18 military operations against Palestinian rocket squads in the Gaza Strip. The report said Israel’s attacks in the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City, including the shelling of a house where soldiers had forced Palestinian civilians to assemble, amounted to war crimes. It found seven incidents in which civilians were shot while leaving their homes trying to run for safety, waving white flags and sometimes even following Israeli instructions, as well as the targeting of a mosque at prayer time, killing 15 people, were also war crimes. Investigators found no evidence that the mosque was used to store weapons or for any military activity by Palestinian armed groups.